Test Your Breakfast IQ

Which of these food choices would make a smarter start to your day?

Why These Are the Best Choices

Bacon vs. Sausage

Winner: Bacon
A side of sausage at a diner adds an average of 277 calories. Choose bacon and that number drops to 131 calories, with a third less sodium and half the saturated fat. “Bacon has only about 35 calories a slice,” says nutritionist Jonny Bowden.

Home Fries vs. Hash Browns

Winner: Home Fries
Go with the choice that’s least fried, which in this case is home fries. Compared with confetti-size shreds, thick potato slices present less surface area on which oil can take hold; they deliver less fat and about 15 percent fewer calories than hash browns.

High-Fiber Cereal vs. Oatmeal

Winner: High-fiber cereal
Those who eat the most fiber have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, even knee pain. In our analysis we found that high-fiber cereals (think Fiber One and All-Bran) delivered more than twice as much fiber as oatmeal, with fewer calories.

Egg Sandwich vs. Breakfast Burrito

Winner: Egg sandwich
The restaurant burritos we analyzed averaged over 1,000 calories each. The average egg sandwich had just 722 calories. It also delivered 32 grams of protein, an amount that, in one study, led to 15 percent fewer calories consumed at a follow-up lunch.

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